The American Legion Magazine
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE AMERICAN 2 O c • d U L Y 1975 LEGIONMAGAZINE OUR CRUMBLING ROLE IN THE AMERICAS THE FOURTH OF JULY A Bicentennial Feature • SHOULD THE UNITED STATES ADOPT A 200-MILE SEA LIMIT? 50 YEARS OF AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL THE PLOT TO STOP THE NEXT FLU EPIDEMIC Seagram's Benchmark salutes The American Legion 57th National Convention, with this commemorative replica of Fort Snelling. As a tribute to Minnesota's historic Fort Snelling, we We think you'll agree it's an exceptional work of crafts- have reproduced this colorful china tower, beautifully manship. And when you get it home you'll discover some- emblazoned in 24 carat gold. thing else. The taste of Seagram's Benchmark. Just lift the You'll find it on sale in August at the National Con- bottle out, pour and enjoy a real premium bourbon. Made vention in Minneapolis. After that it will be available in with the kind of fine craftsmanship that's really hard to limited editions at stores across the country* Then the find these days. mold will be broken and will never be produced again. American Legion, Seagram's Benchmark salutes you! *Void where prohibited. : THE AMERICAN JULY 1975 Volume 99, Number 1 National Commander LEGION James M. Wagonseller MAGAZINE JULY 1975 CHANGE OF ADDRESS Subscribers, please notify Circulation Dept., P. O. Box 1954, Indianapolis, Ind. 46206 using Form 3578 which is available at your Table of Contents local post office. Attach old address label and give old and new addresses with ZIP Code number and current membership card num- ber. Also, notify your Post Adjutant or other officer charged with such responsibilities. OUR CRUMBLING ROLE IN THE AMERICAS 4 BY THOMAS WEYR The American Legion Magazine A report on our relations with our neighbors in Canada Edi torial & Advertising Offices and Latin America, most of whom are making strong 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10019 bids to depend on us much less than in the past. Publisher, James F. O'Neil Editor A REPORT ON AMNESTY HEARINGS 10 Robert B. Pitkin BY JAMES M. WAGONSELLER Assistant to Publisher National Commander, The American Legion John Andreola Art Editor The National Commander provides members with the texts Walter H. Boll of some communications he has had with a Congressional Assistant Editor committee on the subjects of (a) amnesty by legislation James S. Swartz and (b) who is invited to testify about it. Associate Editor Roy Miller Production Manager SHOULD THE UNITED STATES ADOPT A 200-MILE Art Bretzfield Copy Editor SEA LIMIT? 12 Grail S. Hanford Two Sides Of A National Question Editorial Specialist pro: REP. G. WILLIAM WHITEHURST (R-VA.) Irene Christodoulou con: REP. GLENN M. ANDERSON (D-CALIF.) Circulation Manager Dean B. Nelson Indianapolis, Ind. 50 YEARS OF AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL 14 Advertising Sales BY GEORGE W. RULON AND R. B. PITKIN Robert Redden Associates, Inc. P. O. Box 999 The ups and downs of the first half century of the first Teaneck, N.J, 07666 national baseball program for teen-agers, undertaken 201-837-5511 by the Legion in 1925 and still going strong. The American Legion Magazine Commission THE FOURTH OF JULY A BICENTENNIAL FEATURE. 18 Benjamin B. Truskoski, Bristol, Conn. BY MALCOLM G. POMEROY (Chairman) : Mil ford A. Forrester, Green- ville, S.C. (Vice Chairman) ; James R. Kel- A look at how The Fourth of July has been celebrated Iey, Radnor, Pa. (National Commander's Representative) Billy Anderson, Miami, Fla.; over the years, and at why our nation's birthday has ; always been observed on that date despite Lang Armstrong. Spokane, Wash.; Norman Biebel, Belleville, III.; Aclolph Bremer, arguments to use some other date. Winona, Minn.; B. C. Connelly, Hunting- ton, W. Va.; Andrew J. Cooper, Gulf Shores, Ala.; Raymond Fields, Oklahoma THE PLOT TO STOP THE NEXT FLU EPIDEMIC 22 City, Okla.; Chris Hernandez, Savannah, Ga.; James V. Kissner, Palatine, III.; Russell II. BY HARVEY ARDMAN Laird, Des Moines, Iowa; Henry S. Lernay, Lancaster, Ohio Loyd McDermott. Ben ton, A look at world-wide efforts to have a vaccine for the next ; Ark.; Morris Meyer. Starkville, Miss.; J. H. variant the virus it of flu before becomes epidemic. Morris, Baton Rouge, La.; Robert F. Mur- phy, Chelmsford, Mass. ; Frank W. Nay lor, Jr., Kansas City, Kans. ; Harry II. S chaffer, HOW TO REGISTER A BICENTENNIAL PROJECT 26 Pittsburgh, Pa.; George Sinopoli, Fresno, case history Calif.; Wayne L. Talbert, Delphi, Ind.; A of a Legion-sponsored community war memorial Frank C. Love, Syracuse, N.Y. (Consultant), that was dedicated this year, with the status of a project on the Edward McSweeney. New York, N.Y. (Con- national register of The American Revolution Bicentennial. sultant) . The American Legion Magazine is owned and published monthly by The American Legion. COVER: DRAWING BY JAMES FLORA Copyright 1975 by The American Legion. Second class postage paid at Indianapolis. Ind., 46204 and additional mailing offices. Price : single copy, 20 cents ; yearly sub- Departments scription, 32.00. Direct inquiries regarding circulation to: Circulation Department, P. 0. Box 1954, Indianapolis, Ind. 16206. A LOOK AT OUR MAIL 2 DATELINE WASHINGTON 44 Send editorial and advertising material to: LIFE IN THE OUTDOORS 3 PERSONAL 46 The American Legion Magazine, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10019. VETERANS NEWSLETTER 27 LEGION SHOPPER 47 NEWS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION 29 PARTING SHOTS 48 NON-MLMISLR SUBSCRIPTIONS Send name and address, including ZIP number, with S2 check or monev order Manuscripts, artwork, cartoons submitted for consideration will not be returned unless a self-ad- to Circulation Dept.. P.O. Box 1954, dressed, stamped envelope is included. This magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Indianapolis, Ind. 46206. If ""deliverable, is- PO^STlVf A €1T1?¥? • please send Form 3579 to: Microfilm copies of current and back 1 vOllUAOl JEiX\. Pi Gi Box 1954, Indianapolis, Ind. 46206. sues of The American Legion Magazine are available through : University Micro- films, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106. THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE • JULY 1975 '76," that made up our April cover. A LOOK AT The work by Archibald M. Willard was done for James F. Ryder, a OUR MAIL Cleveland photographer and art dealer who wanted a painting that might prove commercially profitable for the 1876 Centennial. Willard, who had a knack for humorous sub- Raymond Brodton, of Everett, Pa., ent occupation. He does not know jects, and who had earlier worked a retired professional photographer, the name of the warship which for Ryder, showed him a sketch of has written to express his appreci- finally put him ashore in Tokyo Bay, two comic drummers and a fifer, ation for our May issue cover photo- but thinks it was a destroyer. If any- which poked sly fun at the rustic graph of two little girls kneeling at one knows of this incident and can character of a typical Fourth of July the graveside of an American G.I. identify the ship, Captain Pineau celebration in a sleepy country vil- "[It] is indeed a most vivid and would like to hear from him. Letters lage. Ryder, sensing the patriotic touching photograph," he states, should go to him at the museum, sentiment that the forthcoming "and the short story about it makes Bldg. 76, Washington Navy Yard, Centennial was already generating, it an unforgettable experience. I as- Washington, D.C. 20390. told the artist to do it again, and to sure you it will be forever in my leave the humor out. 'Hall of Memories' because I care!" Mrs. Donald Sutherland, of Glouces- The finished work drew such en- Henry Nolda, of Washington, D.C., ter, Mass., writes that in "this thusiasm from Clevelanders viewing adds that the adoption of the sol- year of the Bicentennial, we have it in Ryder's window that the art dier's grave is "... a real lesson in truly appreciated your articles on the committee at the Centennial Expo- the value of friendship. May their history of our country." Her daugh- sition in Philadelphia had it exhibited prayers help all our deceased service- ter, she says, uses the articles as there, to enormous acclaim. men." references in school assignments, and Willard later painted several ver- each issue is looked forward to for sions of the original. One hangs at Capt. Roger Pineau, Director of its historical features. Western Reserve Historical Society the U.S. Navy Memorial Museum in in Cleveland. The father of the boy Washington, writes to ask our help Apropos of Bicentennial events, who was the model for the drummer in finding the name of a WW2 U.S. Mrs. David S. Smith, of Shaker boy presented the one we used to the warship that rescued a Japanese Heights, Ohio, wrote to request a city of Marblehead, Mass. pilot from the waters near Okinawa. copy of our July 1969 issue in which In April 1945, pilot Haruo Hirota the article, "The Story of Ethan "Just recently I came across the was downed as his plane approached Allen—Vermont's Wild Giant," by February issue, which somehow had the target area for a strike at U.S. Richard Wolkomir, appeared. Her escaped me," writes Herman Work, ships off Okinawa. Mr. Hirota, now husband, a 30-year member of Cleve- of Staunton, Va., in commenting on chief chef at the Key Bridge (Va.) land's Army-Navy Legion Post 54, Thomas Fleming's article, "The Bat- Rosslyn Marriott Motel's Chaparral represented an ancestor of his in tle of Point Pleasant," featured there- Room, was rescued by an American the re-enactment of the taking of in. "The story is much the clearest warship.